BEIJING — Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan said he feels shame for his son, who has been indicted by Beijing prosecutors on a drug charge and could be jailed for up to three years.
The remarks, reported Wednesday by China’s official Xinhua News Agency, came two days after authorities announced the indictment against Jaycee Chan, 32, who is charged with sheltering others to use drugs.
The scandal has been particularly embarrassing for Jackie Chan, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.
Jackie Chan, who sits on China’s top national political advisory panel – the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – told Xinhua that he did not use his connections to interfere with the case and that he hopes his singer-actor son will become an anti-drug ambassador when he is released.
Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said Chan and Ko both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug, and that 100 grams of it were taken from Chan’s home.
Get daily National news
Ko, whose real name is Ko Chen-tung, was released after a 14-day administrative detention for the drug use, but Chan – who has remained in detention since August – is faced with the more serious criminal charge.
State broadcaster CCTV in August aired video of the police raid on Chan’s apartment, in which Chan was shown identifying marijuana in his possession. Ko testified on camera that he had used drugs at Chan’s home.
CCTV also said Chan told police that he has been using drugs for eight years.
In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished. The crackdown snared more than 7,800 people in Beijing alone, according to police, and celebrities were targeted because of their influence over the public.
As the only son of Jackie Chan, Jaycee Chan commands much media attention. The younger Chan has appeared in several films and has released three albums.
Comments